OK, hang in there for this one. But basically I’m going to treat this like I’ve called you up on the phone and I’m going to tell you all about my day with a very excited voice, barely pausing between to breathe at which point you’re just going to go uh-huh, uh-huh, really?, that’s awesome. But not in the bored way. K? Here we go.
So first thing, I have to talk about the crazy stuff outside. They had a stage set up and they were doing dance competitions. Besides it, they had a huge tub of bubbles where people were wrestling. It was just all-around fun before you even went in. Oh, and someone proposed on the stage outside. She said Yes!
The praise and worship was amazing all day. I especially enjoyed this morning’s session where they started off with this Eminem song and I don’t know, the talent and creativity just in the worship kind of blew the hinges off the doors right out of the gate. It’s just one of those times where you just go God, you are so awesome that you gave these people these gifts and it’s so amazing they are using them for You. I don’t know who this guy is but he needs an album if he doesn’t have one and then I need to buy it. AMAZING voice.
Ok, so as for the speakers, this REALLY would be a long post if I typed up every single thing I wrote down but I’ll give you all some highlights.
Andy Stanley. I loved him. He was really funny and real and did a really great job of weaving Scripture in with application. He talked about our appetites. To be loved, appreciated, wanted, respected, for fame. And it creates a vocabulary of “more”. They are never fully and finally satisfied and always whisper that it must be satisfied NOW. He used the story of Esau selling his birthright to Jac0b and how his appetite for the stew was so strong that he traded not just his birthright, but possibly his legacy for generations to come. Instead of Abraham, Isaac, and Esau it was Abraham, Isaac and Jac0b. Our appetites get blown out of proportion but we must reframe them and see what the cost will be. Ask yourself these questions: What can’t you say no to? What are you talking yourself into? What are you contemplating that your spouse is uncomfortable with? What is not illegal or immoral but you don’t want anyone to know? Learn to control your appetites.
Scott Harrison – He spoke on behalf of Charity Water. This guy came out of New York as a very successful nightclub promoter and has now started and runs Charity Water. Amazing stories and charity.
Daniel Pink – Daniel’s talk honestly was probably more geared towards businesses and church administration. I found myself connecting the dots based on my work environment versus church. But basically his idea is a person’s real creativity and ownership comes out when they are given 3 things. Autonomy, mastery and purpose. Autonomy basically means letting your employees dictate what tasks they work on, when they work on it and the technique they use. It’s the opposite of micro-managing. Mastery we need to set goals and give yourself feedback. Especially the millenial generation is very feedback oriented. You also must marry purpose and profit. It’s not enough just to say we need to raise profit share 2%. He closed by talking about people’s lives are one sentence. Like Lincoln’s was free the slaves. Is your life an amazing sentence or a muddle paragraph? What’s your sentence?
Christine Caine – She blew the roof off the place. She was so passionate and talked about the church being the church instead of attending church. But it must be born out of love for Christ. We are not to judge and condemn but to love and find the lost. When people get lost, they don’t plan on it or maybe they just make a miscalculation. It doesn’t matter, we must have compassion and show them the right path. We have to be God’s GPS. And true compassion only starts when you do something about it. Otherwise, you’re just getting emotional. She talked a lot about sex trafficking and she has started A21 Campaign. I’m so excited about this and can’t wait to get more information.
After Christine, they did more presentations for sex trafficking. Atlanta actually has 2-300 children that are trafficked every month. An Atlanta based group has created a film about it that you can have shown in our city. Find out more info at stopthecandyshop.org. The Atlanta based group is Street Grace.
Rani Hong – She’s a trafficking victim for India. She was sold at SEVEN. SEVEN. That’s Emma’s age. It BREAKS MY HEART. She ended up getting out of India and adopted by a mother who ended up dying of cancer when she was 16. Her story is amazing and she has started the Tronie Foundation to be the voice of victims.
Seth Godin – Honestly I don’t think I’m smart enough to recap Seth Godin. He talked a lot about industrialization and how the factory mindset has taught America how to create things faster and in the same way and have people be replaceable. We’ve lost the ability to solve problems creatively. We must change and become indispensable people. We must learn to connect. We have to learn to try new things and not be afraid of failure and to not be afraid of emotional labor. Emotional labor is all those hard emotional places you don’t want to go like giving someone a call that you know will hurt. When we find our “art” we will become those a person that people will miss when you’re gone.
Beth Moore – Beth! She talked about fear and insecurity. She talked about how leaders are dealing with instant scrutiny with social media these days and this inner war of insecurity starts. This leads to self-focus and narcissism. We have to rely on God and follow Him wherever He goes. We usually start well but Satan tries to render us ineffective. We need the Spirit to give us staying power.
At this point they did a presentation on adoption and Compassion and I was a MESS after that. You’ve read that we are considering adopting and there was something an adoptee/adopter said that is going to stick with me. He said there is a child that God has ordained to be yours, he’s just not under your roof yet. That SLAYS me to think our little boy is already out there somewhere. It makes me want to run off to Haiti or wherever, just yelling to find him. I mean, if Emma or Lexi were lost I would go to no ends, spend as much as I had to get them home. Why am I not willing to do the same for this child?
Francis Chan – Francis Chan tonight was impossible to contain or summarize. Man was on fire. He leaves in 2 weeks to go to India with his whole family (FOUR kids) for an undetermined amount of time. You could just see and hear how in love with God he is. He’s being completely led by the Spirit and it’s just amazing to see.
And in closing, let me show you a funny video. These two guys who were basically comic relief I guess had these awful bowl cuts. They were making fun of all the different hair styles of pastors and then tried to get others to do the bowl cut and said Chris Tomlin had one which of course no one believed. Then they showed this video. Hilarious!
Check out more awesome pictures here.